Letter-box



(No Model.)

M. J. HEWLETT.

LETTER BOX.

Patented Jan. 15, 1889.

"SEE-247255555.

NITED STATES MADDRA JACKSON HEWVLETT, OF PADUOAH, KENTUCKY.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,360, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed July 25, 1888- $erial No. 281,014:- (No model-Y To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MADDRA JACKSON HEW- LETT, of Pad ucah, in the county of iWIcCracken and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter- Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in letter-boxes; and it consists in, first, the combination, in aletter-box, of a frame placed upon its top and provided with an opening, the revolving disk which is placed in the frame, with a lid which covers the opening in the letter-box and which is provided with a projection, a rod which passes through the letterbox and engages with the disk, and a bottom or door to the box which operates the rod when the door is opened; second, the combination, in a letter-box, of a lid which closes the opening in the side of the box, and which is provided with a projection upon its inner side, with the disk which is held in position by the projection, the operatingrod which extends through the box, and the door placed in the bottom of the box for operating the disk through the rod, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a letter-box for the reception of mail matter, and which will indicate whether any in ail has been dropped since the box was last emptied by the owner, and to connect to the lid of the box an alarm, so as to call attention to the fact when the lid is operated.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a box which embodies my invention, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, also partly in section,

A represents the letter-box, which is provided with an opening, B, for the insertion of the mail through one side, and which opening is closed by the lid 0, which has the handle D secured thereto at or near its center. Secured to one end of this lid 0 is the toothed segment D, which, as the lid is being raised, operates a spring-alarm, F, of any suitable construction, so as to call attention to the fact that the lid is being operated? Secured to the side of the upperportion of the box A is a flange, G, which projects out from the top of the lid C, so as to shed the water in such a manner that it will not run into the box through the opening B.

Upon the upper end of the box is a suitablyshaped frame, H, which is much narrower than the box, and inside of which is placed a partially-revolvin g disk, I, which is cut away upon one side, so that it will automatically return to position as soon as it is left free to move. Upon this disk I is cast or marked the word Mail, which word shows through the opening J in the frame II when the disk I is in its normal position. Through one edge of this disk I is made one opening, L, in which aprojection, O, on the inner side of the lid C, catches when the lid is closed for the purpose of looking the disk in position, so that it will show the word Mail through the opening J after the lid C has been operated. Operating in connection with the disk I, upon one side, is the rod P, which has its upper end to project up into the frame H, so as to strike against the side of the disk when the rod is forced upward, and which extends down through the box A at one side, and its lower end is bent at an angle, as shown, so as to be operated by the bottom Q, which is pivoted in the bottom of the box. hen the bottom Q is closed, the rod P is forced downward by the disk I; but when the bottom Q is opened for the purpose of removing the mail from the box this rod P is forced upward, and it causes the disk I to partially revolve, so as to move the word Mail from in front of the opening J in the frame H. In order to move this rod P a greater distance than can be done by the bottom alone, and to prevent mail which is dropped into the box from interfering with the working of the rod, there is pivoted to the inner end of the bottom a short piece, R, which assumes a vertical position when the bottom Q is closed; but which, as the bottom is dropped at its free end, moves upward along the inner side of the box A and operates the rod P, and at the same time any mail matter is prevented from being caught by the inner end of the bottom as itrises into the box. \Vhen the bottom is opened for the purpose of taking out the mail, the rod P is forced upward by the inner end of the bottom Q, and the disk I. is caused to partially revolve by having the rod P forced upward, so that its upper end by striking against one side of the disk causes it to turn until the word Mail disappears from View. The projection O, as shown in Fig. 2, upon the inner side of the lid C, by catching in front of the shoulder of the cut-away portion of the disk,

prevents the disk from automatically returning to position, as it otherwise would do, until the lid 0 is opened for the iting mail in the box. As the lid is raised the projection is drawn outward from the front of the shoulder, and then the lid instantly returns to position and the word Mail is displayed, so as to indicate to the owner that mail has been dropped in the box since he last emptied it.

If the word Mail is not exposed, there is no necessity for the owner to stop and open the box.

Each box will be provided with suitable brackets or means for attachment to opposite sides of a post, the house, or other support, and to the front of the box will be attached a purpose of deposplate giving the name of the owner and his address.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in a letter-box, of the frame II, secured thereto and provided with an opening, and a partially-revolving disk, I, placed in the frame, with the lid C, provided with a projection, of a rod engaging the disk, and a bottom or door to the box which operates the rod and the disk, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a letter-box, of the lid 0, provided with a projection upon its inner side, with the disk I, which is held in position by the projection, the operatin g-rod, and the bottom or door for operating the disk through the rod, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MADDRA JACKSON IIE\VLETT.

\Vi tnesses:

JoE. W001), F. A. HUMMEL, Jr. 

